Fox Ears
by Akemixgrowls
Summary: Escaping from an arranged marriage, Hinata leaves everything she knew behind her in hopes of finding a her own destiny. While traveling, she stumbles upon a certain fox spirit that could turn her world upside down. AU NaruHina rated T for certain stuff
1. Human Presence

**A/N: I'm starting a multichapterfic that centers around Naruto And Hinata. There will be some OC's but they will mostly be fox demons and they won't be paired up with anybody. OOCness will ensue so be warned! Other pairings will include SasuSaku, one-sided ShinHina, one-sided NejiHina, one-sided KibaHina, TenLee, ShikaTem, and InoChou. Thats all for now, Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me, if it did I would be a rich person...  
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><p>His sleek, ginger fur kept the skin underneath his coat warm from the chilly, autumn night air. His rump sat on a rock near the edge of sheer drop overlooking a valley covered with gargantuan pines. In his human form, he went by the name of Naruto. Born from a human mother, Naruto had only human blood from his mother's side. However, Naruto was the Kyuubi no Kitsune at this very moment, a trickster fox spirit with incredible amount of chakra and power. As a trickster fox spirit, he played games and tested unsuspecting humans for various reasons. Yet, he had a bigger role than just messing around with humans; he was also a guardian of the valley below and mountain range surrounding the area. He had to protect the area from any human corruption, intervention, and decay. Naruto had promised Minato, his father who had also guarded the valley before him, that he would keep it safe. He would keep his promise at all costs.<p>

"This view is so amazing, even at night. Don't you agree, Kin?" Naruto asked a small, golden fox demon. Kin nodded his head in agreement and said, "Hai, Kyuubi-dono. It is indeed amazing. We must go, Kyuubi-dono, before the sun rises and you change back into your human form."

"Yeah, your right. Let's go Kin!" Naruto sighed. Grudgingly, Naruto rose from his rather comfy rock wishing he could just sit for a little while longer. Kin eagerly wagged his tail in excitement; he always was up for a good sprint through the forest. Ignoring his companion for a moment, Naruto peered over his shoulder. Down in the valley, on the trail going through the trees, a human traveler ventured through the trees.

"There's a human in the forest."

"Really? What do you plan on doing about that, Kyuubi-dono?"

"Check it out, obviously. And also see if I can play a prank on that baka."

"Sounds like fun!"

"Oh it will be! Come on, Kin-chan!"

"Chan? Why do you call me chan all the time, Kyuubi-dono? You know I am sensitive about being called a girl!"

"Stop whining Kin-chan and let's go!" Naruto remarked, irritated by the fact that Kin had a tendency to whine and complain about the smallest things.

Both foxes bound off the cliff and into the forest below.

_If you didn't know, Kin means gold in Japanese._


	2. Hinata's Dango

**A/N: Thanks guys for the reviews I've gotten on this so far! It took me longer than I would have liked to write this, but I rewrote this chapter twice, hope I didn't epically fail it. Anyway before we start, I'd like to mention since I didn't do this in the last chapter but Sasuke and Sakura are lesser fox demons and they change into humans. Also since I don't really want the NejiHina to be incest, I'd like to say that Neji loves Hinata as a sister but she doesn't feel the same. She respects him but not like a brother.  
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**Dislaimer: If I had any kind of ownership to Naruto, there would be more yaoi...  
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><p>Her geta crunched on the ground with each step. Her walking was the only thing that could be heard, the rest of the forest rested beneath the darkened sky completely and utterly silent. Every now and again, Hinata would cease for moment to listen, hoping to catch another sound that would say that the forest was not completely lifeless, not entirely devoid of animal life. When none came even she continued on. Her white orbs darted from one tree to another, searching for any quick movement. At all times, Hinata had her guard up, her hand rested on the hilt of a sword which had the Hyuuga clan symbol engraved on its sheath. She kept her guard up just in case anything decided to attack; she had a good reason for that. Even before she had entered the forest, she had picked up an ominous chakra presence permeating the entire forest, some sort of powerful demon spirit resided within it. She could not tell what kind of powerful spirit would live in here, although she recalled the warnings of the villagers back in the small town, Kawabe. At first she thought they had completely gone bonkers, yet now Hinata wasn't too sure about that.<p>

She mused, what was it they said? Something about a protective spirit, a spirit that watched over the Shizukana forest, keeping harmful humans out? They said something about it being a powerful animal spirit, but what kind of animal? If only I could remember exactly what that old man had said right before I took off, it'd be really helpful at the moment.

Hinata halted for moment to adjust her loosely fitted yukata. Her constant traveling and little intake of food had caused her to lose a lot weight over the past few weeks. Hinata thought of the elderly lady innkeeper who had mentioned how thin she looked and provided her with some of the best meals she had ever eaten in her life. The innkeeper's dango beat any other ones that she had ever eaten. Speaking of dango, Hinata was glad that she had packed some of them for her long journey to the border of the Hi no Kuni. First though, she would have to get out of this eerie forest once in for all. It really did earn its name, Shizukana, for how silent everything was in it.

She stopped again, this time though to rummage through her satchel-her senses were on alert for any danger. She pulled out an item encased in manila fabric; the object gave off a sweet scent that immediately made her mouth water with anticipation. While unwrapping it, the scent became stronger for the fabric muffled it somewhat. The dango sure did smell appetizing, and it would taste even better once inside her mouth. Once out in the open, Hinata could not help but admire the food in her hand. The beautiful coloration, it made her absolutely want to cry out her love for the entire world to hear with tears of joy. Yet, now was not the time to do that. She would quickly eat the sweets and continue on her way. No time to actually admire it.

Hinata brought the sweets to her mouth; she inhaled the aroma coming off of them. Just as she was about to take a bite from the dango, a twig broke somewhere in the underbrush forcing Hinata to pry her eyes off of the dango and scan the area. When she deemed it safe, she brought the food close to her mouth again. Her eyes closed, she never noticed a flash of orange in her peripheral vision. The flash of orange knocked her down-her dango flew into the air and landed onto the ground feet away. She immediately opened her eyes. Standing right before Hinata and her soiled sweets was a giant, ginger fox that had nine tails. The ginger tails had minds of their own for they flailed wildly without purpose. She stared straight into its bloodshot crimson eyes, the eyes of a yokai.

Seconds passed for what seemed like an eternity, and then the fox demon scooped up the dango into its snout, it bounded off into the trees. For a few more minutes, Hinata still absentmindedly gazed at the spot where the fox had just been. Her mind racing over what just happened.

Finally coming back to reality, Hinata got up to her feet, though her head disorientated and spinning. She tried to maintain her balance yet she fell to the back down to ground, fainting in the process.

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><p>"Kin-chan, it's all your fault that this girl's dead! I hope your happy with yourself!"<p>

"Nani?My fault? Kyuubi-dono, you're the one who showed yourself to the human! How can you expect her to be alright after you tackled her and took her food?"

"One, I didn't tackle her! I pushed her down with my paw! Two, it was just a joke! Jeez, you're no fun! Dattebayo!"

"Oh, Kami-sama, why me?" Kin sighed with both his paws covering his eyes, "Kyuubi-dono, not all of us can be tricksters, I for one hate pulling pranks on people!"

"Like I said, you're never any fun. You need to lighten up, Kin. Or else one of these days, you're going to find yourself wishing that you had."

"The same can be said for you, Kyuubi-dono. The same could be said about you. By the way, if you did not already realize this, the girl is not dead. She's alive." Kin rolled his eyes at Naruto's obvious misconception about the girl. Her yukata shifted up and down with each breathe. Naruto watched the unconscious girl, examining her with curiosity. He had never before seen such a creature in his entire life. She had such creamy, white skin which showed no sign of blemishes or marks or scars of any kind. Her face had been molded to an almost perfect shape. Surrounding her face, her long, midnight hair had the loveliest tinge of black to it. Below the veil of hair, her body was lithe and rather muscular. Yet, her body structure was petite. Her loosely fitted yukata revealed some cleavage to something she had the most of in comparison to the rest of her body. Her supple breasts complemented her body structure adding more to the curves of her body, which Naruto found attractive. Kin's voice brought Naruto back to reality, "Kyuubi-dono, what do you plan to do with her? We could just leave her body here for Sasuke-kun and the rest of the others to-"

"No! I'll take her with me back to my house; I don't want that teme getting his grubby, black paws on her! Not that I don't mind Sakura-chan and Akito-chan. I just hate Sasuke!"

"Not this again Kyuubi-dono."

"Kin-chan, you know what Sasuke's like! He's such a jerk to me, even when I nursed him up when we both were in our human forms. I don't trust him."

"Well, how can you trust that Akito-chan! You don't trust Sasuke-kun, but you trust Akito-chan!"

"You're just saying that 'cause Akito-chan flirts with you constantly."

"No, I am not."

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I am not!"

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I'm not! Now, could we please change the subject, Kyuubi-dono? Dawn will be here any second and we have to get you home before you turn into a human. If the others find you here as human, they will attack you and I promised Minato that I would watch your back. "

"Yare yare Kin-chan. Fine, We'll go." Naruto said. With his mouth, he hoisted the unconscious girl onto his back. He peered down at Kin, and then sprinted towards the eastern part of the Shizukana. With the girl on his back, he would have to be careful while running.

"Kyuubi-dono, wait up!" Kin called from behind him.

"Come on, Kin! You can go faster than that!" Naruto teased, "I know you're pretty fast because you can beat that Sasuke teme in a race any day!"

"Sometimes I really hate you, Kyuubi-dono!"

"Naw! You just whine way too much!"

_if you guys don't know Yare yare can something along the lines of oh well or alright_

_Shizukana translates to quiet or silence_

_Kawabe translates to riverside  
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	3. Remembering a Death

**A/N: I know I have no right to make any excuses but I do have legit ones, I'm just not going to clutter this story with them. I'll try to update hopefully on a weekly basis cause I'm no longer in school. Also I pretty much have this whole plot figured out but I just need to actually write it.  
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**Thanks to my reviewers so far, Bubii, Chewie Cookies, hinatagirl0805, Leaf Ranger, Kingdom hearts birth by sleep, adngo714, and MrsDeidara.  
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**adngo714: I said this already but I'll make it clear that Neji and Hinata have a more sibling relationship than anything else.**

**Also thanks to all the people who have favorited Fox Ears. Beware of the Hyperbole and bad writing!**

**Update: I will be going back through the chapters to change things and fix them of any mistakes, thanks guys for pointing out any discrepancies.  
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**Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto, I don't.**

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><p><em>"Kiba-kun, why did you that?" She asked in disbelief while trying to fight off the tears forming around the corners of her eyes. <em>

_"For you, Hinata-san. I did that for you."_

_"Kiba-kun it was not necessary. Father would have let us go no matter."_

_"No Hinata-san! He wouldn't! I did it because you need to live a happy life out of your father's control. You deserve way more than what your family thinks...your such a kind and gentle person not like your sister or your father.  
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_"Kiba-"  
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_"Hinata-san let me have my say! I've always loved you Hinata-san, ever since the day I first laid eyes on you. I-I always knew your heart would lie somewhere else though. Yet...I still hoped that one day I could tell you the truth. I guess better late than never right? OW!" Kiba's hand immediately went for his side. His face scrunched up in pain from the wound at his side.  
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_"Kiba-kun!"Hinata exclaimed. She dropped to her knees next to his wounded body. She repeatedly told herself, Everything is my fault! He did this to protect me from the arrows! Its all my fault! I was so weak that I couldn't even defend my self!_

_"Hey, don't worry about me. Hinata-san you need to get yourself as far away from this place as possible. You need to leave Hi no Kuni or else Hiashi will find you." _

_"But he has disowned me as his daughter_."

_"Doesn't matter! He will contact the military base in Konoha to put your head up as a bounty-" Kiba abruptly stopped coughing up blood but continued on, "He...he will want you dead for refusing to marry your cousin. I overheard it from his own lips, he doesn't want a traitor to the Hyuuga clan alive." The Inuzuka boy violently coughed a few for more times before his body fell limp.  
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_"Kiba-kun...thank you for being there me."_

_She clasped his hand as she silently wept for her fallen friend and servant. A smile graced her lips yet she couldn't bring herself to speak for fear of her voice giving way to unnecessary emotions. Kiba had done what she would have done for him or for any other person if only she had the gall to do so. He had given his life to protect her. His dying words still rang in her ears._

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><p>"Hey, wake up!"<p>

Her memory faded, leaving her mind foggy and blank. She heard someone's voice over a large distance of foggy nothingness. Who's voice did it belong it?

"Ne, ne! Hey Girl! Wake up already!"

"Kyuubi-dono, stop that! She'll come around on her own time!"

"Kin-chan, what have I told you about calling me 'Kyuubi-dono' during the daytime! Plus, look she's starting to move!"

"Hai, Naruto-san."

Her eyes slowly opened. Hinata found herself staring into a pair of cerulean orbs belonging to a blonde boy. The boy had the blondest of blond hair and sun kissed skin perfectly complemented by a muscular torso. He wore nothing but a pair of raggedy, orange breeches which had holes and patches in different areas. The most peculiar thing about this peasant boy was not the hair or eyes but the three whisker-like scars running parallel to one another on his cheeks.

As Hinata stared at his uncovered body, she could feel her face blaze up like a symbol for Land of the Fire. His uncovered body would have had the elders from the council in her clan decry, "Improper! Improper!" Yet, in her mind, she found it more amazing than anything else. The perfectly chiseled abs, the wonderfully sculpted pectoral, and the magnificently molded triceps and biceps were astounding. She found his appearance similar to a god, a summer solstice god to be more exact. If she had the guts, she would have already made his body hers. She could just picture herself touching his torso and cuddling into those strong arms of his. Yes! Life would be just perfect if she could get over her innate fear of socializing with other people, if she could just become more assertive in the way she approached people.

So as not to cause any unnecessary trouble, she shifted her gazed down towards his feet. However, if only she wanted to rid herself of her blush. She just couldn't mask her emotions like her cousin could; he was always so calm and collected. She had admired him for those qualities but that was it.

The boy or Naruto, exclaimed, "Finally your up! We've been trying to get you to come out of some nightmare you were having. So anyway what's your name?"

"H-H-Hinata. Y-your name i-is N-Naruto?"

"Yep! Well pleasure to meet you!"Naruto extended a hand out to Hinata. She glanced back up at his face, her face swelled with the burning fire of embarrassment. She quickly nodded and took his hand. She could tell that today would be a very long day already.


	4. Political Tension

**A/N: Well its that time again when I upload another chapter to this NaruHina story and yes there is slight NaruHina in this chapter. I'm sorry for the any grammar errors and if the characters seem more OOC than anything else. Its tough trying to keep them in character, so bear with me. I'll try to update every two weeks or so but I cant guarantee that. Constructive criticism is loved! I'd love to know what I need to improve.**

**Also we should be getting close to the meat of plot soon enough, I'm gonna try to write the upcoming chapters in at least 2k words.  
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**Thanks to these awesome reviewers! DarkHinata919, Leaf Ranger, Mrs Deidara, Chewie Cookies, and Echo Uchiha, you guys rock!**

**Disclaimer: I don't know any thing pertaining to Naruto.  
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><p>"Hinata-chan? Well I've never heard that name before. It sounds weird, kinda reminds me of you."<p>

"I-I-"

"What're you so shy about? I mean, its not like I'm gonna bite or anything. At least not right now when I'm full from eating breakfast."

"Naruto!" Kin hissed before marching out of the room,"Aren't you going to offer the girl something to eat?"

"T-t-that's a-a-a-"Hinata stuttered, staring wide-eyed at the small yokai.

"Fox demon? Oh don't mind him, he's just a whiny little baby."

"Naruto!" Kin's voice traveled through the room.

"Huh? Oh..oh! Right! Sorry about that! Would you like something to chow down on? I have some left over ramen in the pot. It's not much but dinner will be great after I go hunting. Say, do you wanna go hunting with me?"

"I-I guess I don't m-mind. I w-will have some ramen i-if that is okay with you."

"Okay! The bowls are in the cupboard to your left and the chopsticks are in the drawers on the opposite side of the kitchen." Hinata gave Naruto a slight nod in reply. She rose from the mat and ambled over to to the small kitchen area. All the cupboards and drawers were made from bamboo grass stalks, like most of the other furniture in the house. On the bamboo ceiling, beautifully designed paper lanterns hung to illuminate the dim kitchen. The kitchen was dark in the first place because a large rag was placed in front of the window; the sunshine gleamed through some small cracks in between the wall and the rag. Hinata mentally questioned why Naruto kept his windows covered from the outside world.

Her mind wandered from the rag back to the kitchen's craftsmanship. Hinata admired the craftsmanship of the kitchen, she figured that the only who could have built this house was most likely Naruto. Her cheeks burned at the thought of that carefree boy working on this place, in only his breeches. Her heart pounded like a drum in her chest as she began to hyperventilate. Her thoughts whizzed through her mind, No! I can't think of him like that! I barely know him! How improper!

She tried to focus her mind on finding the eating utensils instead. Her attention was immediately drawn to the farthest corner of the room.

Simmering on the dying embers, a small pot filled to the brim with steaming vegetables and meat mixed in with the ramen noodles, filling the kitchen with its fragrance. Hinata's stomach growled like a starving tigress and she could feel her mouth salivating from just the smell the alone. With a bowl in her hand, she ambled over to the stove.

She muttered in a voice loud enough for Naruto,"I-it looks good. It m-m-must have taken you a-awhile to make it."

Naruto's cheeks changed to a lovely shade of pink, he scratched the back of his head while beaming sheepishly,"I didn't really make it, a friend came from town and brought it. Her name's Ayame-chan and her and her oyaji, Teuchi-san own a ramen shop. They're really nice people as long as I can afford their noodles, not that that makes them bad because of that. Its just business.

"D-do you get them as v-v-visitors often?" Hinata stuttered. She turned her blushing face away from Naruto's attention to the noodles still in the pot. With a wooden spoon, she stirred the noodles around a bit before scooping them into her bowl. As she gathered the food into her bowl, she sensed Naruto's eyes boaring into her back. She shifted her head slightly to see through a charcoal veil of hair, his azure eyes watching her intently. Shivers ran down her spine at the thought of how similar he looked like a fox observing its prey. She could feel the blood running to her face as it turned pink from embarrassment.

Trying to avoid any embarrassment, she muttered softly,"Y-you didn't answer m-m-my question?"

"Huh? Oh sorry! He he...their the only people from the village that keep in contact with me on a daily basis. I guess you could say that, Ayame-chan comes by often."

"That is very nice of her."

"Uh...yeah it is. She and Teuchi-san are very nice people, he even knew my dad before...before the accident happened to him." Naruto said with downcast eyes. Hinata could have sworn that she saw a tear run down his win-kissed cheek.

She ambled over to the table, set her bowl down, and sat down on her knees next to Naruto. She placed her hand on Naruto's back, while rubbing it in a circular motion. Hinata whispered,"T-there, t-t-there Naruto. As long as y-you remember him, th-a-ats all that really matters."

"Thanks, Hinata-chan. What does your name mean, anyway?"

"Sunflower."

"Pretty."

"Arigato. My mo-other named m-me after a sunflower she r-r-received from m-my father o-on the day of their we-e-edding. S-she told me it was the best g-g-gift she had ever g-gotten from him After she t-t-told me that, s-she w-was killed i-in a day later in an enemy r-r-raid caused b-by a family feud bet-t-tween my family and another. " Naruto gasped and said,"I'm sorry."

"I d-don't remember her all that well."

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><p><em>The body of her mother lay before her, her mother's eyes were closed, hiding away those lavender Hyuuga eyes so similar to Hinata's. Clasped in her cold fingers was a single sunflower. Hinata could feel her body shudder uncontrollably in her father's comforting arms; his voice smooth as velvet whispered consoling words in her ears.<em>

_Hanabi's wailing could be heard as their servant clutched onto the flailing, grieving girl. As the rest of the Hyuuga warriors hunted in vain for the culprits behind the massacre, little Hinata paid no attention to what was taking place. She only cared that her mother's bloodied corpse lay in front of her broken family._

_"Neji. " Hiashi called out. Neji's voice answered back,"Hai, Hiashi-sama!"_

_"I want you to take my daughters with you to the branch family estate while I leave to take care of certain business."_

_"Hai, Hiashi-sama!"_

_"Also, Neji before you leave I want to tell you something. If anything should happen to me, you are next in line to be head. You have this great honor because you are the son of my deceased brother and I have daughters incapable of being heads. So I leave the family in your hands while I am gone."_

_"Arigoto, Hiashi-sama."_

_Hinata felt herself being handed to her cousin. She felt cold and numb inside._

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><p>"Even though I've never met her, your mom sounded nice. She reminded me of what my mom might've been like. You see, my mother died while giving birth to me. That's what Ero-senin use to tell me when I was little. He left a few weeks ago because of some rebellion brewing in the Inuzuka, Hyuuga, and Aburame clans, thats why I'm the only person here right now. He told me that the three clans are fighting with each other over something stupid, but its causing political unrest all over Hi no Kuni. The daimyo's guard, the Senju's clan leader, is Ero-senin's secret girlfriend and friend of my dad. She's the one in charge of all the land's military operations aside the daimyo himself. I guess he left to see her because of her political position, he may be trying to get more than just information from her though. Did you hear anything about it? You must've heard something because your a traveller!"<p>

"N-no I didn't e-even know there w-was political unrest."

"I hope nothing awful happens."


	5. The Sages Meet

**A/N: I'm actually proud of myself that I wrote this pretty fast, jk...anyway just so guys know there is no real OroxKab pairing in this story, that means no yaoi for any unsuspecting yaoifans reading this. I'm just writing the snake as how I see him. He's just a creeper. On a positive note, I really enjoy Jiraiya and Tsunade together. Who doesn't see it happening in the canon? Aside Naruto, Jiraiya is my favorite character so I'm totally going to include him. He wont die either! YAY!  
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**I'm still trying to to hit for 2k plus in word count but it takes time for me so be patient.  
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**Lots of love for my reviewers of the last chapter! Leaf Ranger and Echo Uchiha, you guys are so cool with being consistent in your reviews! Also thanks Chewie Cookie for pointing out a big mistake that I made.  
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**Disclaimer: Naruto is the product of brillant mastermind, not by me.  
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><p>His eyes raked over the intoxicated woman with rather large assets, sitting across from him; even at age 50 she still looked absolutely amazing. Her fair skin, flushed cheeks, big bust, and sandy blond hair drove Jiraiya wild ever since the day when they first met in the capital. Their friendship started with him, a clumsy preteen bumping into a flat-chested girl with monstrous strength. It made sense that she would have some kind of unique ability (due to the fact that her great-grandfathers were the legendary Senju clan leaders that had ended the Emperor's tyranny). It was rumored that every single clan scattered around the continent had at one time made pacts with various demons to receive certain abilities, which where then in turn passed down through each generation. The various clans made the pacts and called a truce with each other so that once the time came, they could all work together to bring down the Uchiha Emperor's horrifying army of a thousand resurrected souls. As the Emperor and head of the Uchiha family, Madara utilized both his positions to bring about the Age of Ketsueki no basu upon the known world. It was only when Senju Hashirama fought Madara, the Age of Ketsueki no basu ended forty years later.<p>

Well, Jiraiya mused, whatever the truth is behind Tsunade's strength, I'm just glad I'm not the next poor bastard who dares enrage her and receive the brunt of her fury in the form of a flying fist. Kami! Does she have a short temper, especially when she's drunk.

Jiraiya carefully kept his gaze from looking down at Tsunade's chest. He focused in on the blue diamond tattooed on her forehead while bringing the bottle of sake to his mouth. He casually said, "Long time no see, eh? Tsunade-hime?"

"Jiraiya, don't be so formal."She replied curtly. Her thin eyebrow raised expectantly. Jiraiya huffed,"How are things going in Konoha? I hear that the current daimyo is forcing the military to stand guard on red alert. I hear from some of my sources that Konoha has had tighter security in the past few months."

"Jiraiya don't believe everything you hear, you know how gossip can be inaccurate. Yet-" She paused to cover her mouth with her hand, preventing the sound of hiccups of escaping,"Sadly, you heard right. The daimyo wants tighter security in not only the city but also guards and barricades put in the smaller towns surrounding Konoha. He wants to go so far as in putting up units around the borders. "

"The in-clan fighting is that bad?"

"Its more than just in-clan fighting, there is an underground revolt brewing beneath my men's feet," She sighed, her body swayed slightly, "And not only that, but the daimyo fears invasion from neighboring military forces. Jiraiya, I feel like we're walking on thin ice because everyday I get reports of my men being ambushed by guerrilla fighters."

"Everything will be just fine, Tsunade-hime." Jiraiya reassured. He reached across the table and patted Tsunade''s free hand.

"I hope your right, for my men's sake. If this whole situation explodes, I'm not sure what we can do to keep the land in stability."

"Come on Tsunade, I'll take you back to the inn before Shizune freaks out about your absence. She'll definitely have a fit about your state of mind. No need to pay, its all on me."Jiraiya quickly intercepted Tsunades's hands as she reached within her fingers fumbled in between her exposed cleavage to retrieve her money. In a drunken stupor, she glanced up at him questioningly. Jiraiya heavily sighed,"I shouldn't let a lady and highly-esteemed commander pay when its the host's job to pay the tab. Tsunade let me handle the bill, I'll meet you outside."

He watched her stumble outside the tavern, it was a good thing that they met in a not-so-well-known tavern. Located in Tsukiakari, one of the small villages surrounding Konoha, to meet with the military commander of the daimyo's army; the Bear's Paw was probably the safest place to discuss politics with Tsunade. If they had met in a bar inside the capital itself, they more than likely would have drawn attention to themselves and there would go the trust that the daimyo had in Tsunade. Also, Her avid drinking habits would give her a bad reputation with her subordinates.

The last time Jiraiya had gone drinking with Tsunade, they went to a small pub in Yaso to celebrate her big promotion. That had turned out disastrous for not only him but her as well. After that night, Tsunade not only lost her pay for that week, she also found out that she was terrible when it came to gambling. Somehow, her superiors at the time had not discovered that little incidence so her job had been saved.

Done reminiscing of the past, Jiraiya went over to the counter to pay bill. He asked the man behind the counter,"How much?"

"120 ryo."

"Tsunade owes me for this." He muttered as he placed the money on the counter. Without so much as another word to to the other man, Jiraiya marched out of the tavern. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a person that he least expected to see in the tavern of all places.

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><p>He eyed silver-haired boy sitting right across from him. The boy closed his eyes and pushed his glasses up when they began drifting down his nose. Opening his eyelids, his eyes spoke to Orochimaru, asking him if they should leave the bar. Orochimaru shook his head, while answering in a low, sinister hiss, "Not yet, Kabuto. We need to follow them. It's (ku ku ku) shall we say important that we find out more about what the daimyo has planned."<p>

"But, Orochimaru-sama we-"

"I will not hear anymore Kabuto! Now is not the time for this!"

"Hai, Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto sighed. Orochimaru glared daggers at his openly defiant subordinate, all the while, almost inaudibly hissing,"Know your place, Kabuto. You may be only young, but your age does not dismiss your behavior."

Orochimaru's pallid lips curved into a devilish grin meant to phase the younger man, however, Kabuto pushed his glasses up and smirked himself. In a mocking whisper, he stated,"I have no idea what you are talking about Orochimare-sama."

"Ah Kabuto," Orochimaru hissed. He reached over the table, his extended arm stretched over the table in an inhuman way, "I will enjoy discussing this later with you." His outstretched hand stroked the other's cheek in an almost lovingly, caressing way, yet Orochimaru felt no love for the boy. His eyes clearly spoke of the disdain he held towards his subordinate.

Kabuto kept his gaze trained on Orochimaru, unphased by his hand. He muttered,"Orochimaru-sama, they are leaving now."

"Ku ku ku...we better follow them then."Orochimaru retracted his arm back to its original length. Still smirking at his companion, he stood up from the booth with a sort of grace that almost seemed unnatural for humans. Then again he was almost inhuman. His, shall we say, experimentation with his body had given him snake-like abilities. People who didn't know him classified him as a yokai. Orochimaru would disagree with their naive perception and simply put it that he experimented with his body along with others to gain a better understanding of mortality. He was not a yokai but an immortal instead-something which most of the peasantry which made up much of the population of Hi could not even begin to comprehend.

His eyes darted from Kabuto to Jiryia's receding back. He hissed,"Jiraiya, its been a long time." He shifted his eyes back to Kabuto,"You know what to do."

Kabuto pushed up his falling glasses with the two of his fingers while grinning like a maniac, "Hai, Orochimaru-sama!"

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><p><em>if you guys didn't know Tsukiakari means Moonlight<em>

_Yaso means "wildflower"_

_Ketsueki no basu means "Blood bath_"

_yokia means "demon"_


	6. Sleep Well Tsunade

**A/N: I'm not going to give you guys a bunch of excuses but I will say this. Sorry to all those who've been patiently waiting for this next chapter...even I was disappointed in it. Sorry guys but I've just been really down and I haven't been really into Naruto as much as I'd like to be. XP **

**I do however give you a short chapter six that is dedicated to more Jiraiya and Tsunade fluff.**

**I have no idea when I'll get chapter 7 of Fox Ears up but keep your eyes peeled for it!  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, simple as that.**

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><p>Jiraiya's silver hair swayed with each step he took. With a free hand, he pushed a few strands away from his face as it became loose from his ponytail. He was happy that only a few strands that fell over his eyes were shorter; the rest reached a length slightly past his waist. He usually kept the longer strands tied back in somewhat loose ponytail to prevent the hair from falling in his face during battle. As a master swordsman, he relied heavily on his senses, especially his eyes and ears, while fighting opponents. It mostly applied to combating multiple opponents at one time. With just one opponent, Jiraiya had a better chance of survival without his senses than he did with many. The thought of losing his senses reminded him of things he would rather forget. Jiraiya vowed that he would not make the same mistake his sensei had made; a terrible mistake had cost his sensei his life. Ignoring the stabbing pain in his chest, Jiraiya shifted his attention to the almost unconscious, big-bosomed woman in his arms. Her covered hands sought out the the silver locks. Her fingers intertwined themselves in a few of the strands, and they began to curl them around one of the digits in a clockwise motion. Entertained, Tsunade let out a small hiccup and she then hummed in approval as she continued to play with Jiraiya's hair.<p>

She crooned, "For a man, your hair is beautiful. Many women would die to have your hair."

"Is that suppose to be a stab at my masculinity, Tsunade-hime? If so, you do a good job. Now my feelings are hurt."

"So says the man who would spend many hours at bathhouses surrounded by women."

"Hey! Its for research!

"Tch! Research!"

"Um…yes! Research! That's all! At least, I'm not a flat-chested girl!"

"Jiraiya…I'm not a girl anymore. I haven't been one for a long time. My breast-size has at least double since then." She stated while letting go of his hair. She brought her arms in, and crossed them in a childish fashion. She pouted a little while Jiraiya noticed the pink tinge to her cheeks as it indicated the drunken state of her being. He could have hardily laughed at her reaction, if it had not been for the fact that he wanted to remain alive. Instead, he lightly teased, "That's definitely true, Tsunade-hime! Your size has greatly improved since we were kids!"

"You pervert! I could kill you for looking!"

"Really, Tsunade, calm down. It's hard not to look when you have those things almost hanging out of your shirt."

"Your still a pervert…"Tsunade was cut off by a yawn. She pushed her face closer to his chest and closed her eyes. The blonde hair not tied back in her pigtails covered her sleeping face, making her seem more like a sleeping beauty than a passed out drunkard. Jiraiya's frowning lips quirked upwards at the thought of the person he held in his arms, sleeping close to his chest, and the warmth radiating from her unconscious form. Not wanting to wake her, he murmured under his breath, "Sleep well, Tsunade-hime. You'll need all the rest you can get."


End file.
